Bracing



BRACING Filed April 9, 1949 -IN VEN TOR. Robert W. Sutton Patented Nov. 11, 1 952 BRACIN G Robert W. Sutton, Beulah, and Louis St. Cyr, Benzonia., Mich.; said Suttonassignor to said St. Cyr

Application April 9, 1949, Serial No. 86,444

The invention relates to improvements in braces and more particularly to a readily adjustable rugged brace which may be easily and quickly installed or removed.

The brace of the present invention is of a kind that is especially adapted for use in bracing or bridging the joists of a iioor in a building construction. Common practice is to set the joists in spaced relation with their ends suitably supported on the building walls or beams and to then reinforce the joists at spaced intervals through their lengths as by nailing orl otherwise securing therebetween strips of wood suitably cut to fit snugly therebetween in a criss-cross relationship. Such bracing or bridging is not entirely satisfactory primarily because settling of the building or warping or twisting of the joists or shrinkage of the strips renders the braces ineffective for the purpose intended. It, therefore, becomes necessary in many instances to tear out the original bracing and install new bracing. This obviously is an expensive procedure and very often is not done, with the result that the joists are not rigidly and rmly supported in their intended position-s.

It is, therefore, an object of the present-invention to provide a brace of the character referred to which may be easily and quickly installed or adjusted and locked in place so as to fit in a specific installation.

Another object is to provide a brace of the character referred to which is light in weight and which may be shipped in a knocked-down or disassembled condition to thereby occupy a minimum amount of shipping space.

Another object is to provide a brace for the purpose intended which may be economically produced and installed by unskilled workmen.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawing there has been disclosed selected structures designed to carry out the various object-s of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features -shovvn as Various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a oor supported by joists having braces embodying the features of the present invention installed therein, one of the braces being shown in a partially installed position.

Fig. 2v is a plan View of one of the braces showing portions thereof broken away.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail longitudinal sectional view showing a partially installed brace in full lines and illustrating said brace fully installed in broken lines.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modied form of brace.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, and particularly to Fig. 2, the embodiment of the brace there illustrated consists of a pair of channels II and I2, each of which preferably is formed from sheet steel. The channel II is wider and deeper than the channel I2 so as to telescopically receive the channel I2 between its side walls I3 in the manner shown. The side walls I3 are provided with at least one pair of slotted recesses I4, the recesses of each pair being in transverse alignment with each other. These recesses are intended to provide bearings to selectively receive transversely projecting lips I5 Istruck out of the side walls I6 of the channel I2 adjacent one end. In the present disclosure, the two pairs of recesses I4 are spaced to adapt the brace to installations between joists having twelve and sixteen inch centers.

Upon referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be observed that the lips I5 are adapted to have free rotation within the enlarged inner ends of the recesses I4 so as to thereby permit the channel I 2 to be moved during assembly from the full line position of Fig. 3 into the broken line position there illustrated. When the channels are in the broken line position shown in Fig. 3, the bottom wall I T of the channel I2 lies iiat against the bottom wall I8 of the channel I I, thus preventing relative movement of the channels beyond the broken line 'position illustrated.

This construction affords means whereby a brace may be' located initially between the joists I9 supporting the oor 2lA in the manner illustrated by the brace A in Fig. 1. When in this position, the outer free ends of the channels I I and I2 are in bearing engagementwith the opposed faces of the joists I9. Upon moving the brace A from the position illustrated in Fig. 1 into the broken line position shown in Fig. 3, the outer ends ofthe channels are urged into tight abutment with the joist faces.

Means is provided, however, on the outer free ends of the channels to enable the ends to engage firmly in the joists and thereby be retained in the desired position. To this end, each channel II and I2 is provided at its outer end with at least one pair of barbs 22. Each barb 22 preferably is located at the juncture of one of the channel side walls with the channel bottom wall. This affords means whereby the barbs 22 are reinforced by the side walls to thereby prevent their distortion upon the application of the necessary force, longitudinally of the assembledbrace, to cause them 5 to penetrate the joist surface.

When the brace is moved into the straight line position indicated by. brace B in Fig. 1 thel barbs 22 'on the outer ends thereofare securely embedded in the joists I 9. The free edges of the l side Walls I3 and I6, adjacent each barb 22, are suitably cut at an angle, as at 23, so as to afford-a flat surface which may bear firmly against the bottom face of the floor 2l to increase the rigidity of the brace. The brace is held in its straight line l5` position preferably by means provided on the side walls I3 of the channel I I to resiliently coactwitlfrr the side walls I6 of the channel I2. Said means are best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As there illustrated, each side wall I3-0f the brace II is pro- 20 vided, adjacent its telescoped end, with an inwardly extending protuberance or the like ZI which is adapted to engage over the edgeof `one of the side walls I6 of the channel I2iwhenthe latter is moved into its straight line position. It should be quite evident that the brace 'mayA be installed and secured in place easily and quickly and that it may be removed readily for repositioning, should it become necessary, by the simple expedient by grasping or otherwise engaging the brace midway between its length and drawing the same downwardly to cause the channel I2 to disengage itself from the protuberance 24.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5 is substantially like `that described herein- 35 above. In this instance, however, structurally different meansare providedto afford a hinge connection between the two channels I I and I2'.

As illustrated, the channel side walls I3 are provided with inwardly struck aligned'lips 24' in- 40 wardly ofthe channel ends. The telescoped end ofthe channel i2' has its side wall ends suitably rounded so as to have a free rocking motion against the lips 24 when the two channels I I' and I2 are in telescoped association. 4.5

The manner for installing the brace illustrated in Fig. 5 is the same as the manner for installing the brace illustratedin Fig. 1. When positioned` with its barbs 22 against the opposed faces of the joists I9 the brace is moved into straight line 50 position to thereby embed the: barbs in the joists. During the movement of the brace into straight line position the channel I2 engages a pair of keepers Z formed on theupper edges of the side walls I3 of channel I I. The keepers are cammed 55 outwardly owing to the tapered edges thereof sufliciently to enable the channel I2 to move into a straight line position with the-channel I I'. The keepers 2S then spring back into their original position to overlie the free edges ofthe walls IE of channel I2. This aiTords means whereby the brace is rmly retained' in place until such time as its removal may be desired.

Although exemplary forms of the present invention have been disclosed in the accompanying drawing and discussed in detail in the foregoing specification, it should be understood that the invention is capable of embodying a wide variety of modifications in detail Without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A toggle brace comprising a first and a second channel, said rst channel having one of its ends telescoped over one end of said second channel with their side and back walls in substantially over-lapping relation, a plurality of pairs of substantially circular holes with one of each pair in afdifierentsideoffsaid one end of said rst channel,I each ofsaidholes having a throatl opening into the free edge of its respective side, a pair of l'lugs struck out of and each extending from a different side of said one end of said second channel and removably insertable in a different one of said pairs of 4holes through its associated throat, said-lugs and said holes providing a separable hinge connection, whereby as said second channel ismoved about said hinge connection to enter and to be in alignment with said first channel-the over-al1 length of said channels is increased, and releasable means for resisting movement of-said second channel out of said first channel.

2. The toggle brace defined in claim 1, in which said means for resisting movement of said second channel out of said first channel comprises a pair of protuberanceseach on a different one of said side-walls of said rst channel and spaced from said 'hinge connection, said protuberances extending inwardly and positioned to snap over the free edges of said second channel.

3. A brace constructed as described in claim 1 and in which means is provided on the projecting ends of the telescoped channels to engage members between which the brace is mounted.

4. A brace constructed as described in claim 1 and in which a reinforced barb is provided at each corner ofthe projecting channel ends to engage members between which the brace is mounted.

5. As an article of manufacture, a brace comprising a pair of, channels, one of said channels having one of its ends telescoped into one end of the other channel, a separable hinge connection joining the fitted channels, said separable hinge connection comprising a plurality of pairs of substantially circular holes with one of each pair in opposite sides ofthe outer channel, each of said holes opening onto the adjacent free edge through a throat aligned substantially perpendicular to the bottom of said outer channel, and a pair of lugs at the end of the other channel, each lug extending from a different side of said other channel and aligned substantially parallel to the bottom of said other channel, said lugs beinginsertable into a selected pair of said holes for rotatable pairing therewith, through said throats, whereby said channels can be disengaged from each other only upon being aligned substantially perpendicular to each other.

ROBERT W. SUTTON.

LOUIS. ST. CYR.

REFERENCES CITED The-following references are of record in the Ille of'this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,247,024 Hurley June24, i941 2,276,458 Boettner Mar. 1'7, 1942 

